Slow Cooker Butternut Squash Chili

Name: Slow Cooker Butternut Squash Chili
Total time: 6 h 15 min
Yield: 8 servings
Ingredients: 1 medium butternut squash, peeled and cut into 1-inch cubes; 2 cans black beans, drained and rinsed; 1 can kidney beans, drained and rinsed; 1 can crushed tomatoes; 1 yellow onion, diced; 3 cloves garlic, minced; 2 tbsp chili powder; 1 tbsp smoked paprika; 2 tsp ground cumin; 2 cups vegetable broth; Kosher salt and black pepper; Cilantro and lime wedges for serving

Slow Cooker One-Pot Freezer Friendly Vegan & Plant-Based Gluten-Free

A big pot of chili that leans sweet and smoky instead of heavy, with cubes of butternut squash that hold their shape and two kinds of beans that go creamy after a long afternoon in the slow cooker.

Course: Slow Cooker
Time: 6 hr 15 min
Servings: 8

Cooking Notes

Cut the squash into sturdy, even cubes so it softens without disappearing completely during the long cook. Very small pieces can dissolve and make the chili overly sweet and thick.
If the recipe uses dry spices and aromatics, briefly cooking them before they enter the slow cooker gives the finished chili more depth than relying on low heat alone.
Taste near the end for salt, acidity, and heat. Squash naturally sweetens the pot, so the finished chili often benefits from a sharper or spicier adjustment before serving.

Recipe Card

Slow Cooker Butternut Squash Chili

By Gabriella

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Category: Slow Cooker
Total Time: 6 hr 15 min
Difficulty: Easy

Servings: 8

Ingredients

1 medium butternut squash, peeled and cut into 1-inch cubes
2 cans black beans, drained and rinsed
1 can kidney beans, drained and rinsed
1 can crushed tomatoes
1 yellow onion, diced
3 cloves garlic, minced
2 tbsp chili powder
1 tbsp smoked paprika
2 tsp ground cumin
2 cups vegetable broth
Kosher salt and black pepper
Cilantro and lime wedges for serving

Instructions

1
Pile the squash, beans, tomatoes, onion, and garlic into the slow cooker and stir in the chili powder, paprika, and cumin.
2
Pour over the broth, season generously with salt and pepper, and stir once so every cube of squash is coated in spice.
3
Cover and cook on low for six hours, or high for three, until the squash is tender but still holding its edges.
4
Mash a ladleful of beans against the side of the pot and stir it back in — that is what makes the broth thick without any cream.
5
Taste for salt, then serve in deep bowls with plenty of cilantro and a squeeze of lime over the top.